


Windblown

by mithrel



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blanket Permission, M/M, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-19
Updated: 2009-08-19
Packaged: 2017-11-10 11:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/465586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrel/pseuds/mithrel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin takes advantage of a windy day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Windblown

Merlin was blown along the street, almost dropping the bags of groceries. He chafed his arms, nearly dropping them again; although there were only a few clouds and the spring sun beat down strongly, the wind was cold.

He was glad when he reached the block of walk-up flats where he lived with Arthur. Once out of the wind, he immediately began to warm up.

He took the stairs to the first floor and jogged over to their flat. It took him awhile to unlock the door, since his fingers were numb.

He finally fumbled it open and entered.

This was a modest flat: two bedrooms, kitchenette and an all-purpose area with a couch and TV. He and Arthur had met at university when Merlin was assigned as his roommate, and had got on so well they decided to continue living together once they graduated. At some point it had become more than a flat share.

Arthur worked in graphic design, or computer programming, or something technical anyway. He went on about how he was going to develop a sensible user-interface and put Bill Gates out of business. Merlin worked in the editorial department of the local newspaper, and put up with Arthur’s comments on how it was pointless to work there, newspapers would be gone within the next decade anyway.

He put the groceries on the table and hung up his jacket. As he started putting away the groceries, Arthur wandered out of his room.

“What happened to you?” he demanded.

“What do you mean?”

“Your hair’s sticking up everywhere.”

“Oh, that,” Merlin said, self-consciously trying to smooth his hair down. “It was windy out.”

Arthur laughed. “Come here, idiot, you’re only making it worse.”

Merlin walked over to him, and Arthur smoothed his hair down and then kissed him.

Between the two of them, it didn’t take long for all the groceries to be put away, and then Merlin said. “I’ve got an idea.”

Arthur looked suspicious. “Every time you have an idea it ends up being a disaster.”

“That’s not true!”

“Do the words ‘mushroom pie’ mean anything to you?” he asked.

“It wasn’t _that_ bad!” Merlin protested.

“Morgana still hasn’t forgiven me for putting her in hospital.”

“Alright, maybe it was,” he conceded reluctantly. “But this one is harmless, I swear!”

“So what is this harmless idea?” Arthur drawled.

For answer, Merlin disappeared into his room.

Arthur followed him curiously, to find him rummaging on the top shelf of his closet.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for someth–ah, here it is.”

Arthur looked dubiously at the battered box-kite Merlin brought out. “And just what do you intend to do with that?”

“Fly it, of course,” Merlin replied.

“You’re joking!”

“No, I’m not,” Merlin told him, attempting to untangle the kite-string. “It’s perfect kite-flying weather!”

“If by ‘perfect’ you mean ‘freezing and raw.’”

“Don’t be such a spoilsport!” Merlin complained.

“Well, I’m sorry, Merlin, but I never was that fond of _Mary Poppins._ ”

Merlin glared at him as he undid the last knot. “I’m going to fly it no matter what you say!”

“Good luck with that,” Arthur smirked.

“Oh, no.” Merlin said. “You’re coming with me!”

“I most certainly am not!”

“Yes you are! You owe me for that football match you dragged me to!”

Arthur gave a long-suffering sigh. “Why is my boyfriend the only man in England who hates football?”

“I got beer poured down my favourite shirt!” Merlin reminded him.

“Your fault for wearing it. I told you there’d be a mob.”

“You still owe me. Come on, Mr. ‘Windows-was-designed-by-a-monkey-with-brain-damage,’ you’re going to drop your dignity and have some fun for once!”

“Fine, I’ll go with you,” Arthur agreed. “But I’m not touching that kite!”

***

When they got to the park they found they weren’t the only ones who’d taken advantage of the wind. There were several kites already in the air.

“See? Perfectly normal,” Merlin told Arthur.

“Except that all of those kites are being flown by _children!_ ” Arthur shot back.

“Not all of them.” And Merlin pointed to a young couple, whose kite was the highest of all of them, little more than a dot against the blue.

“I’m still not doing it. I’ll wait for you over there,” he gestured to a nearby park bench.

“You’re no fun!”

Merlin ran across the field to get his kite in the air, then flew it for about twenty minutes. When he started to get cold, he brought the kite down, only to have it get tangled in the branches of an old elm tree.

“Bollocks!”

Arthur came up to him, laughing. “Well, flyboy, this was your idea, so go up and fetch it. I’ll hold the string.”

Merlin did so, trying to keep from falling as the branches shifted under him, muttering imprecations against the tree, the kite, Arthur and the world in general.

When he got to where the kite was lodged in a fork between two branches, he tossed it into the air. The wind caught it immediately.

And Arthur took off across the park, laughing.

Merlin just clung to a branch for a moment, gobsmacked, then skinned down the tree as quickly as possible and hared after Arthur.


End file.
